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(No Model.) Y W. H. ORAM & G, S; TOMPKINS.

. SHAM HOLDER No. 284,119. Patented Aug. 28, 1883;

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XVILLIAM H. H. GRAM AND GEORGE S. TOMPKINS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SHAiVl-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,119, dated August 28, 1883.

Application filed January 24, 1883.

' devices employed upon bedsteads and similar articles of furniture for the purpose of holding the pillow-shams or tidies, and usually de nominated sham-holders.

The objects of our invention are, principally,

to construct a strong and durable sham-holder which may be readily fitted or adjusted to any size of bedstead within ordinary limits; which may be easily turned up, so as to remove the shams from over the pillows and be securely held in the upturned position; which may be as readily turned down again from either side of the bed when required, and which will not be likely to become displaced or disarranged from any ordinary usage, or double the shams by turning them against the bed-posts.

To accomplish all this our improvements involve certain novel and useful peculiarities of construction and relative arrangements or combinations of parts, all of which will be herein first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the acconlpanying'drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective View of our improved sham-holder, the device being represented as applied upon the head of a bedstead and in the upturned position, or in the position which it is made to assume when the pillow-Shams are required to be turned back. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device as it appears when turned down, so as to bring the shams into position to cover the pillows. Fig. 3 is an elevation of one side of one of the brackets employed for connecting the holder with the bedstead; and Fig. 4, a similar view, showing the opposite side of the same bracket. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the end pieces or tips of the holder. Fig. 6 is a crosssection through the slide-pieces employed for guiding and holding the adjustable bars.

It has not been deemed necessary to repre- (No model.)

sent the pillowshams upon the holder, as these are to be applied as on other forms.

In all the figures of the drawings like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

A and B are the principal bars of the holder. They are preferably made of wood, and are each a little shorter than the distance between the bed-posts of an ordinarily small bedstead. These bars slide one upon another, so that the general length of the holder may be properly regulated, and they are maintained by metallic pieces a a, attached in pairs to the bars, each piece having a slight overhanging lip to prevent the bars from spreading apart, but at the same time allowing all necessary movements until the bars are set in proper place. The pieces a are perforated, so that a small screw inserted through the perforation will prevent any further longitudinal movement of the two bars.

G O are metallic tips socketed to receive the outer ends of the bars, and intended to rest upon the brackets and to turn thereon. These tips are perforated to receive the ends of the wires of the frame, which wires also pass through the bars, thus fastening the tips and bars securely together. They (the tips) are recessed, as plainly shown, to accommodate the ends of the brackets,and the exterior wall of the recess is formed into a grooved wheel, 0, within which a spring or snap is made to ride. The tips thus resting on the brackets, their recesses prevent the bars, and thus the whole holder, from being moved longitudinally, keeping it always in proper place.

' D D are metal brackets, cast or otherwise formed, and intended to be attached to the bed-posts or head-pieces of the bed. In the forms shown in the drawings they are arranged to be screwed against the inner sides of the posts; but they could, if desired, be mounted upon the faces of the posts with only slight changes, or be mounted on any other convenient part of the bed-hcad. On the bracket is a pocket, d, into which thebent spring 6 is inserted and secured. The spring is easily secured by making the bottom of the pocketsquare or angular and flattening the end of the spring to fit therein. The upper and bent end of the spring rides in the groove in the wheel 0 and prevents the tip from being accidentally withdrawn from its seat in the bracket. It also furnishes the check by which the holder is held in upturned position until released by the hand. .For this purpose the wheel is notched, as shown, and the notch is so located that when the holder is turned up the bent end of the spring will enter the notch and keep the holder in an upright position. To turn the holder down it is only necessary to grasp the tip or any convenient part of the holder and turn it hard enough to overcome the resistance of the spring, which is never very great. We prefer to cast the tip with an angular surface outside the wheel, substantially as shown, so that it maybe easily turned by the hand, although this formation is not essential. Near the end of the tip is an eye, Z, which may be employed for securing the sham near the outer end, so as to cover the brackets, orserve for one point of attachment of the tape to which the shams are usually secured. A fastening-tape is represented at g, the uses and purposes of which; are well understood. NVhen the holder is turned upand the bent end of the spring is located in the notch in the wheel, the holder may be easily dismounted from the bedstead by simply pressing it against the action of the spring, and to reinsert the holder it is only necessary to place it in upturned position and draw back the spring, so as to allow the narrow neck of the tip to drop into its place in the bracket. We

prefer to employ the tips and-brackets at each end of the holder, giving greater security and ease of operation, and obviating the necessity of making a separate or different form of attachment.

4 The rods or wires E E make the frame for 7 the shams, keeping them always smooth and in proper place.

The device asthus constructed and arranged will be found to admirably answer all the purposes or objects of the invention, as previously stated.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

ranged to maintain the two bars in proper relative position, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a sham-holder of the character herein set forth, the metallic tip for one of the main bars recessed, a narrow neck, as explained, the same being combined with its supportingbracket, having a seat for said neck, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a sham-holder, the combination of the metallic tip, recessed as explained, and having a grooved wheel, a supporting-bracket, and an attached bearing-spring, the free end of which rides in said grooved wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a sham-holder, the combination of the tip having the grooved and notched wheel, and .the bracket provided with the retainingspring, the whole arranged to maintain the holder and prevent its removal from the bracket, substantially as shown and described.

5. The herein described metallic tip for sham-holder bars, the same having the socket for receiving the end of the bar, the narrow neck for resting upon the bracket, the grooved and notched wheel, and the angular finger-' piece extending beyond said wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a sham-holder, the'combination, with the metallic tip, of the supporting-bracket having the pocket on one side thereof and the retaining-spring secured therein, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

WM. H. H. ORAM. GEO. S. TOMPKINS.

Witnesses: J. P. GOODRIOH,

J OHN O. GooDRIoH. 

